Todd Murray Sweedman faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for mid-range drink driving

When his lift home from the pub fell through, a tradie decided to drink drive to get home rather than risk leaving unsecured tools exposed to getting stolen.

After his ride home from the pub fell through, a Toowoomba sparky decided that rather than risk having his unsecured tools pinched, he would drive home drunk.

That fateful decision has resulted in Todd Murray Sweedman facing court for mid-range drink driving, and be without his licence for six months.

The court was told the 22-year-old self-employed electrician stopped at a pub after work on Friday, 21 January 2022, and while he had made arrangements for a lift home, they fell through.

About 10.17pm officers from Toowoomba Highway Patrol intercepted Sweedman on Drayton Connection Road for a random breath test, which returned a positive reading, police prosecutor Bettina Trenear said.

Self-employed electrician Todd Murray Sweedman has been ordered off the road for six months after pleading guilty to mid-range drink driving.

After he was arrested and taken back to Toowoomba Police Station Sweedman returned a reading of 0.142.

In court on Tuesday Sweedman pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while over the middle alcohol limit.

Sweedman’s solicitor Brad Skuse told the court that his client had no intention of drink driving when he stopped at the hotel for a drink after work, but when his lift fell through he “made the incorrect decision” to drive home, rather than leave unsecured tools in the vehicle overnight.

Mr Skuse said his client had been off the road since his arrest in January, and as a result he had hired someone to act as his chauffer to drive him from job to job to allow him to keep his business up and running.

Magistrate Graham Lee fined Sweedman $850 and disqualified him from driving for six months. A conviction was recorded.